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NFL Mock Draft 2018: Full first round – Who’s the Detroit Lions top pick?

By Michael Kirkland

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 25: Ezekiel Ansah of the BYU Cougars stands with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (L) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders (R) as they hold up a jersey on stage after Ansah was picked #5 overall by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 25, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 25: Ezekiel Ansah of the BYU Cougars stands with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (L) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders (R) as they hold up a jersey on stage after Ansah was picked #5 overall by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 25, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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The NFL Combine is quickly approaching, but today we’re looking at what the Draft might look like if it were today. The Detroit Lions are up at twenty.

Lions braintrust
ALLEN PARK, MI – FEBRUARY 07: (L-R) Detroit Lions General Manger Bob Quinn, Matt Patricia, owner Martha Ford and team President Rod Wood pose for a photo after a press conference to introduce Patricia as the Lions new head coach at the Detroit Lions Practice Facility on February 7, 2018 in Allen Park, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

The Detroit Lions front office, primarily general manager Bob Quinn and new coach Matt Patricia, have a huge offseason in front of them. The Lions need upgrades on both sides of the ball, although the defensive needs outweigh the offensive deficiencies.

They only have five picks in this year’s NFL Draft. Their first is at number twenty overall. They have their first through fifth picks, only. Big areas of need are: defensive line, especially pass rush, running back, an interior offensive lineman who can flex out to left tackle if needed, outside linebackers, and depth at most position groups.

Big draft outlook & notes

This year’s installment is light on pass rushers, but deeper at running back, and the hottest commodities this year, the quarterbacks. As many as five or six could go Thursday night, alone.

The big question is who will be left at #20 for the Lions? The large group of quarterbacks will decide the quality of Detroit’s pick depending on when they are drafted. Let’s see how it plays out.

I read up on prospects usually on several websites, including my favorite, NFL Draft Scout. I encourage any draftnik to do the same, I also read stuff from Matt Miller, Bleacher Report. Those are a couple, of course, many people like Todd McShay or Mel Kiper, ESPN draft experts, too. I used to follow Kiper very close, and he is still considered a worthwhile source to me.

With that out of the way, on to the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft …

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